Thermally operated circuit maker



Dec. 25, 1956 R. c. SLOAN 2,775,669

THERMALLY OPERATED CIRCUIT MAKER Filed May 6, 1954 40 A la INVENTORZfi/amwo C $1.04

ATTORNEYS United States Patent THERMALLY OPERATED CIRCUIT MAKER RichardC. Sloan, Newton, N. C.

Application May 6, 1954, Serial No. 428,071

7 Claims. (Cl. 200142) This invention relates to a circuit maker adaptedto be associated with a fire alarm system or it could be used foractuating a sprinkling apparatus to prevent a fire within a building.

It is an object of this invention to provide a circuit maker which isnormally held in open position and which, upon a predetermined hightemperature being reached within the space in which this device ispositioned, will automatically move a switch to closed position toactuate an alarm or other system to thus indicate a tire is disposedwithin the building in which this device is located.

It is an object of this invention to provide an efficient andinexpensive circuit maker for activating a fire alarm system which isnot liable to get out of order and which will operate with precision andaccuracy.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a top plan view of thedevice;

Figure 2 is a side elevation looking up at the lower side in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an end view looking at of the apparatus in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end view looking at the right hand end of the device inFigure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line55 in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the parts in aposition they will occupy upon temperature reaching a predeterminedpoint;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the left hand portion of Figure 6 lookingupward fromthe bottom of Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates amain portion of the device which has a pair of uprising portions orsupports 11 and 12 each providedvwith cavities 13 and 14 in which theremote ends of suitable bars 16 and 17 are mounted for movement. Thesebars 16 and 17 are pivotally secured to each other by a pivot pin 18'andhave their overlapped ends beveled as at b. The member 10 has alongitudinally extending slot 20 which is penetrated by uprising postmembers 21 and 22 which are integral with a base member 23.

Slidably mounted in the uprising posts 21 and 22 is a shaft 25 the rightend of which in Figures 1 and 2 is adapted to press against the bars 16and 17 by means of a compression spring 27 disposed between post 21 anda collar 28 fixed on the shaft 25. The bars 16 and 1'7 are held inalinement with each other by means of spots of glue 30 and 31 applied totheir upper surfaces and are positioned to engage the tapered ends ofthe bars 16 and 17 in alined position even though the pressure of thespring 27 is exerted against them in their strengthened position asshown in Figures 1 and 2. This glue is of a type which has a rather highmelting point somewhat higher than paraffin and is sometimes referred toas jewelthe left hand end 2,775,669 Patented Dec. 25, 1956 ers glue.However, it has a melting point of between and degrees F. or above anynormal temperature but has a melting point which is low enough to meltupon the rising of the temperature in the location of the device whichwill be created by a fire in the vicinity.

The left hand end of the shaft 25 in Figures 1 and 2 has a downturnedportion 40 which is adapted to travel in alinement with a toggle switchlever 41 which is a part of a toggle switch mechanism 42 which ismounted on the base member 23 and insulated thereupon and has wires 44and 45 leading therefrom to a suitable alarm device 46 and these wires44 and 45 are connected to a suitable source of energy E.

As shown in the drawings the base member 23 and the portion 10 are madeof plastic material to insulate the toggle switch mechanism, but theparts 23 and 10 could be made of any suitable material so long as thetoggle switch mechanism 42 is insulated from the parts 10 and The parts10 and 23 are secured together by any suitable means such as a screw 47penetrating the member 10 and embedded in the member 23. These two partsare secured together when they are adjusted relative to each other so asto cause the parts to occupy the position shown in Figure l.

, The device is set in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and whenthe temperature has risen to a predetermined point so as to melt theglue spots 30 and 31, the spring 27 acting upon the shaft 25 will movethe parts to the position shown in Figure 6, at which time the toggleswitch lever 41 will be moved from the position shown in Figure 2 to theposition shown in Figures 6 and 7 which will make a circuit in theswitch mechanism 42 and energize the alarm 46.

Instead of connecting the wires 44 and 45 to an alarm 46 they could beconnected to a sprinkler mechanism or extended to a fire station or anyother suitable place if desired.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pairof uprising supports, a pair of members pivoted to each otherintermediate their ends, and having their distal ends engaging said pairof supports, a shaft slidably mounted in said base member and having oneend thereof adapted to engage a medial portion of the two memberspivotally connected to each other, a compression spring mounted on saidshaft, said shaft being settable manually to a position to where one endthereof will engage the two members pivoted to each other, the other endof the shaft having a downturned portion, a toggle switch mechanismmounted on the base member and having a lever projecting upwardly in thepath of the downturned portion on the shaft, the two members pivotedintermediate their ends having a fusable material on each adapted tohold the two members in alined position against the pressure of saidcompression spring and said material meltable at a predeterminedtemperature to allow the compression spring to pivot the two members outof alinement with each other and to allow the downturned portion of saidshaft to move the toggle switch lever mechanism from one position to theother.

2. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pairof uprising supports, each provided with a slot, a pair of memberspivoted to each other intermediate their ends and having their distalends mounted in said slots, a shaft slidably mounted in said base memberand having one end thereof adapted to engage a medial portion of the twomembers pivotally connected to each other, a compression spring mountedon said shaft and biased to press one end of the shaft against the pairof members, said shaft being settable manually to a position to whereone end thereof will engage the two members pivoted to each other, theother end of the shaft having a downturned lug, a toggle switchmechanism mounted on the base member and having a lever projectingupwardly in the path of the downturned lug on the shaft, the two memberspivoted intermediate their ends having a fusable material on eachadapted to hold the two members in alined position against the pressureof said compression spring, and said fusable material being meltable ata predetermined temperature to allow the compression spring to pivot thetwo members out of alinement with each other and to allow the downturnedlug on said shaft to move the toggle switch lever mechanism from oneposition to the other.

3. In a circuit maker and breaker for an alarm circuit, a base memberhaving a pair of upwardly projecting portions, a shaft slidably mountedin said upwardly projecting portions, compression spring means on saidshaft for moving the shaft in one direction, a pair of members pivotedintermediate their ends and having overlapping portions, a memberassociated with said base member and having a pair of spaced upwardlyprojecting portions, each provided with a cavity therein into which thedistal ends of the pair of members pivotally connected to each other areadapted to rest, the pair of members each having thereon a meltablesubstance adapted to hold the pair of members in alined position, thepair of members being mounted in the path of said shaft and saidcompression spring tending to move one end of said shaft against anintermediate portion of said pair of members, a toggle switch mechanismmounted on said base member adjacent the end of the shaft remote fromthe pair of pivoted members, said shaft having a downturned portiondisposed adjacent the lever of the toggle switch mechanism, said shaftbeing manually settable to where the pair of alined members which arepivotally secured to each other may have their distal ends inserted insaid cavities and be disposed in the path of said shaft so that thecompression spring mounted on said shaft will exert pressure on a medialportion of said overlapped members, and said shaft having a downturnedportion adapted to travel in the path of the lever of the toggle switchmechanism, whereby upon a fusing of the meltable substance on the pairof members pivotally connected to each other the members will be allowedto pivot relative to each other under pressure of said compressionspring and thus allow the movement of the shaft with its downturned endto move the toggle switch mechanism from one position to another.

4. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pairof uprising supports, a pair of members pivoted to each otherintermediate their ends and having their distal ends'engaging said pairof supports, a fusable material on said pair of members adapted tonormally hold said members in alined position transverse to said pair ofsupports, a switch mechanism mounted on said base member remote fromsaid pair of members and means mounted on said base intermediate saidswitch and said pair of members adapted to exert pressure on said pairof members pivoted to each other to pivot said pair of members out ofalinement and to move the switch from one position to another upon saidfusable material being melted at a predetermined temperature.

5. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pairof uprising portions, a pair of pivotable members having their distalends engaging said pair of uprising portions, 21 fusable material onsaid pair of pivotable members adapted to normally hold said pivotablemembers in alined position transverse to said pair of uprising portions,a switch mechanism mounted on said base member remote from said pair ofpivotable members and means mounted on said base intermediate saidswitch and said pair of pivotable members to pivot the same out ofalinement and to move the switch from one position to another upon saidfusable material being melted at a predetermined temperature.

6. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pairof uprising portions, a pair of pivotable members having their distalends engaging said pair of uprising portions, a fusable material on saidpair of pivotable members adapted to normally hold said pivotablemembers in alined position transverse to said pair of uprising portions,:1 switch mechanism mounted on said base member and means mounted onsaid base adapted to exert pressure on said pair of pivotable members topivot the same out of alinement and to move the switch from one positionto another upon said fusable material being melted at a predeterminedtemperature.

7. A circuit controlling device comprising a base member having a pairof uprising portions, at least one pivotable member having one endengaging one of said pair of uprising portions, a fusable material onsaid pivotable member adapted to normally hold said pivotable member inalined position transverse to said pair of uprising portions, a toggleswitch having a switch lever mounted on said base member and meansmounted on said base adapted to exert pressure on said pivotable memberto pivot the same out of alinement and to move the toggle switch leverfrom one position to another upon said fusable material being melted ata predetermined temperature.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,412,501 Zinger Apr. 11, 1922 1,879,383 Marshall Sept. 27, 19321,891,540 Howard Dec. 20, 1932 1,894,746 Johnson Ian. 17, 1933 2,084,198Johnson June 15, 1937

